We have all heard about California's drought, but how bad is it really? I mean if you happen to stumble upon a picture or video of a Californian suburb you will most likely see green grass and well watered plants all over. If California is in a drought why is there so much green? Californians should all have drought resistant plants for their landscaping!This is true but by no means will it solve the problem. California is in such bad shape that, according to CNN, requires 11 trillion gallons of water to be relieved of this drought. That is the equivalent of 14,000 Dallas Cowboy stadiums full of water. How is California's water used? Well according to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart about 4% has gone towards direct use such as watering lawns, showering, drinking and so forth, whereas 46% went towards agriculture and 47% towards meat and dairy products. The remainder has gone toward industry products. If anything California should not be planting so many crops in a desert and possess such a large meat and dairy industry if they wish to be a drought free.What can you do to help California even if you don't live there? Eat local and eat less meat. California produces over half of America's produce according to CNN. Therefore chances are no matter where you live in the country, you probably ate something grown or raised in California today. If you would like to help California, decrease the demand for meat and eat locally.

Back in highschool, my good friend Josh Cho had a poster in his room of 100 things you should do in your life. One of those sayings that I remember clearly is to plant a tree on your birthday. That is easier said than done depending on your circumstances. I did not plant a tree on my birthday this year. There has got to be an easy way to plant a tree (in addition to downloading the Ecoviate app off course) and there is. And even better its absolutely free.There is a search engine called Ecosia that directs a large percentage of the money it receives from ads to plant trees. These trees are planted in Brazil and so far Ecosia has planted over 1 million trees! Over a million trees because of people like you and me searching the Internet. It works like Google because they use very similar algorithms. But Ecosia is just getting started; they have the goal of planting 1 billion trees by the year 2020 and I believe we can collectively help make this happen. So the next time you search the internet, use Ecosia.

If you would like to get involved with Ecosia you can contact me by tweeting @shravan157

A lot of people have been wondering what's been going on with Ecoviate? What's this new Ecoviate app?

Well, I'm going to explain what we have been up to and what's coming in 2015.

Ecoviate was originally just a green-hardware company. We had a few ideas in the environmental space and wanted to focus solely on hardware. As we got a couple of our products very close to market, we realized a sad yet true fact about sustainable-living: there's no real incentive structure for people to live an eco-friendly life. Aside from 'feeling good about yourself' there is no real motivation to live sustainably and buy eco-friendly products. Simply put, consumer sustainability is an externality; the individual pays the upfront cost but then all of society gets the benefit.

This led to a huge problem within our own company: Why would anyone buy an eco-friendly product for the sake of being eco-friendly? There has to be a personal or monetary value associated with it to attract a lot of customers. This is where the Ecoviate app was born. We started building the app to solve this problem of sustainability acting as a consumer externality.

Let me explain what the app does. The Ecoviate app gives users discounts and rewards for living an eco-friendly lifestyle. As you live a more eco-friendly life, you get 'eco-points' which are directly correlated to the amount of carbon emissions you have reduced.

Step 1: (Snap) take a picture or video of something eco-friendly (riding your bike to work, planting a tree, eating meatless for a meal, a beautiful nature scene, etc.)

Step 2: (Post) upload the picture to Ecoviate or to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram

Step 3: (Redeem) receive rewards and discounts for living a green life

By using our app you will get a direct monetary benefit for living sustainably whether that be eating organic or spending extra for a green product. Your actions will benefit you as well as society.

Because we use a competitive points system that is directly related to your personal carbon reduction, there are limitless possibilities for expansion (including new reward and incentive programs). We have been working hard on the back-end to sign partnerships with green companies to give their users monetary rewards for choosing their products. Once we launch our own hardware, it will be fully implemented with the app to provide complimentary features that leads to more points which leads to more rewards.

So that's what the app is. What about the hardware?

Well, there is a lot we can tell you and a lot we still cannot tell you. We have been working on the EcoTube and the GreenShields. For the EcoTube, it has a completely new 2-part design that not only reduces your vehicles emissions but also oxygenates the inside of the car (when the windows are rolled up). We have been working with a big-name manufacturer and are getting closer to bringing it to market every single day. For the GreenShields, we have been figuring out our supply-chain and perfecting our design based on a recent pilot program.

So in conclusion, a lot has been going on. Big things are coming in 2015.

Environmentally speaking, we did a lot in 2014. In this article I would like to share with you three big leaps that were made in regards to issues concerning climate change.The first one is the China and US agreement. The two largest polluters in the world came together to agree upon decreasing their consumption. I would have never thought this would happen during this decade let alone in 2014. The United States has agreed to cut its carbon emissions by over 25% from 2005 emission levels by 2025. China has intended to cut carbon emissions in 2030. The goals of these two countries are very different but that is because they possess different economic challenges. Simply put, China has not experienced economic development for nearly as long as the US has. You might have expected more or you may have not. Regardless, UN’s climate chief, Christiana Figueres, said that this agreement paves a path for a “more secure future for humankind”. Nice.The second leap I would like to share with you is about solar technology. Solar efficiency has reached an all time high of just over 40%. This was done by researchers in Australia so not all solar panels will have this efficiency rating but rather this is the direction they are headed. Just like the US and China agreement, this represents the beginning of a new era where a lot more people actually care for the environment and are actively seeking to make a difference.Today, high end rooftop solar panels have an efficiency rating that is somewhere in the high teens. In 1989 the best solar panel produced had a 20% efficiency rating for solar energy conversion. Although that was just over 25 years ago, there is more funding for renewable resources and more drive. Maybe we can see efficiency ratings close to the 30% bracket within 15 years.The final (and in my opinion the most influential) event that occurred in 2014 was the People's Climate Marches. All across the world hundreds of thousands of people showed politicians, polluting industries, and all other types of people that climate change is a serious issue. I believe this was an important event because we are taking matters into our own hands. Climate change is no longer an issue that is only brought up by people like Al-Gore; it is now done by people like you and me but listened to by most everyone. The People's Climate March definitely played a role in banning fracking in the state of New York. It set off a trend and it's only gaining momentum.

Good job to not only some politicians, and scientists, but also to us. We did a lot.

Ampy is one of the coolest inventions that I see on the market today. Simply put, it is a charger for your smartphone or any other USB compatible device that is powered by your movement. This wearable device that you can strap to your ankle, arm, or put in your pocket will generate electricity with the movements you make. With each step you take while walking, each stride while running, or even with each pedal stroke while biking, Ampy will generate power.

If you walk 10,000 steps you will generate enough electricity to power an iPhone 5 for three hours. That is incredible. However if you ride a bike, you can generate the same energy in one hour of riding. And if you run, you can cut that time in half; you will generate three hours of battery life in half an hour. If I had this device when I ran cross country and track, I would have generated so much electricity.

Even better is the fact that you can check your statistics on the Ampy app. It will tell you the minutes of battery life generated, carbon footprint offset, calories burned, and you can share these stats with your friends. You can pre order your Ampy at http://www.getampy.com/pre-order. They are bit pricey but this device represents a new side of renewable energy.

My name is Shravan. I am a sophomore at Vanderbilt University and will be running Ecoviate's blog from now on. I must say it is a very exciting time to be running an environmental blog. Environmental issues are gaining significant traction in the public sphere and people are willing to fight for environmental justice more than ever. To see evidence of this we can look to the climate marches that took place all over the world earlier this year or the fact that New York just banned fracking. People realize the importance of a healthy planet.

There are some serious issues that are affecting the environment and as we all know, time is of the essence. This can be discouraging. However, there is much to look forward to. Every week I hear about breakthroughs that are pertinent to the environmental realm. But this is not the only form of positive environmental news. As cliche as the following sounds; there is good in the bad. When I first watched An Inconvenient Truth I was just about to finish the 5th grade, I felt powerless and was wrapped around in a doomsday mentality in regards to the future of Earth's environment. However, as I grew up I realized that at the end of the day it is a matter of addition and that no matter how young or insignificant I may seem, I can make a difference. What I mean by the concept of addition is that If I am able to use one less paper towel after I wash my hands over the years that makes a huge difference.

We as a society are realizing the importance of our individual actions. Little skeptical? I can understand as the world is a huge place. But if you are here reading this blog, chances are you will download our app (it will be out real soon and will be free). We plant a tree for every download. Say you tell your friends about it and fifty of them download our app. That is 51 trees planted because of your actions. Each and everyone of us makes a difference in tackling environmental issues.

Every once in a while we forget this fact. This blog is here to not let this happen. Here, we will share all types of news and information pertaining to the environmental realm. There will be some positive news and some that isn't so positive but as long as we take the good from the bad, it can inspire us to make even more of a positive impact for the environment.

If you would like me to write an entry on a certain topic, tweet at me (Shravan157). Look for my article next week.

We all want to change the world, and we know that we can't do it alone.

It’s like the difference between a ripple effect and a rain-shower: a drop of water in a lake gets lost in its great majesty, but lots of droplets, meaning a rainstorm, can quench the thirst of animals, or foster a forest to grow.

We have all made ripples in our communities by raising awareness about the importance of sustainability through technology and activism, but now, we’re ready for the rain.

By: Zac EvansA year ago, history was written across the American skyline when a plane called the Solar Impulse flew across the United States without using a single drop of fuel. How? Well, the plane’s name kinda explains it. Solar Impulse (now Solar Impulse 2) is a solar-powered plane made out of carbon fiber and very light, flexible solar panels. We all know how great solar technology is, but many of us never would have thought that light alone could yield the power of flight. For pilot Bertrand Piccard and engineer André Borschberg, this was a dream they desperately wanted to see become a reality. It all began when the two men formed a team to research and develop this flying beauty, the Solar Impulse. The raised over $100 million from organizations and corporate sponsors to fund the project. After seeing their prototype’s carbon fiber wings crushed during stress-testing, the men were even more determined to get it right. Since then, the team and their plane have been turning heads with their achievements. They were able to fly it at night during eight hours of intense darkness, fly it 72 hours straight without touching down, and last year, they flew it across the entire United States. When they first began flying, the cockpit was so small that only one person could fly at a time, there was no room to lie down, and the toilet… was built into the pilot’s seat. Weight saving is critical. But now the new Solar Impulse 2 unveiled a couple of months ago sports a better toilet, autopilot, a place for the pilot to lie down, a larger wing span with 17,200 solar cells, and improved batteries.The Solar Impulse 2 is scheduled to take off on its around-the-world-journey in 2015. You can check out its web site for the details of its mission and support an accomplishment that will make history. This is truly an amazing step toward sustainable transportation. We may be a long way away from this technology being used on commercial aircraft, but we have Piccard, Borschberg, and the rest of the Solar Impulse team to thank for getting us a little closer. Solar technology will be a huge part of the world’s energy future. We want to know, would you want solar panels on your home?

Just when we thought Tesla couldn’t be any more impressive, they did something that dropped our jaws even lower. Last week, Ellon Musk announced that all of Tesla’s patents would be disregarded. The remarkable thing is how casual it seemed to be. Musk and Tesla are so focused on realizing a vision for the world that they couldn’t care less about their “precious” intellectual property. They realized how much it thwarts others’ progress. It’s very refreshing to see a company like Tesla send shock waves through the automobile industry – an industry dominated by companies who seem to care a hell of a lot more about their profits than their impact on the world. Granted, there have been some recent heroes in the industry, including Alan Mullaly, the now former CEO of Ford, and the first ever woman CEO of GM, Mary Barra. But Ellon Musk’s vision seems to be unparalleled. Here’s a quote from their June 12th blog post – “We believe that Tesla, other companies making electric cars, and the world would all benefit from a common, rapidly-evolving technology platform.” The blog post ended with, “Technology leadership is not defined by patents, which history has repeatedly shown to be small protection indeed against a determined competitor, but rather by the ability of a company to attract and motivate the world’s most talented engineers. We believe that applying the open source philosophy to our patents will strengthen rather than diminish Tesla’s position in this regard.”

Tesla's Patent Wall

Yeah. Wow. We often time take for granted how some of the most widely used technologies in the world were created thanks to the open source philosophy. We love companies that just want to change the world. They want to use their power and influence to empower others to connect, to share ideas, to build something, to shape tomorrow. I mean, where would we be without Google docs or Facebook? It’s companies like these, like Tesla, that are the companies of tomorrow. These companies put the world and people before the balance sheet. Ecoviate wants to be one of these companies. We want to make this planet a better place for you and the next generation. We believe sustainability can be more than a wind turbine. All of us can take a bigger role in being more environmentally responsible. Ecoviate wants to create the products that will help people help the planet. You have the ability to be like Musk. You can change the world around you by empowering others and choosing to believe in a better future. We want to know, what do you think about Tesla’s patent move? Do you think this decision will influence other companies to do the same?

Welcome to the EcoBlog. My name is Param Jaggi and I am the founder and CEO (Chief Environmental Officer) of Ecoviate. In the next 500 or so words, I’m going to try to explain what this company is and what we stand for. Let’s do this.Ecoviate is a company that builds sustainable technologies and empowers others to do the same. We are currently working on technologies such as the EcoTube, a 3-part system that reduces carbon emissions from motor vehicles while incentivizing consumers with monetary discounts, and the GreenShields, a device that makes buses more aerodynamic thus reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Aside from these technologies, we’re working on a sustainability guide to empower youngsters around the country to make their local schools, businesses, and recreational areas more sustainable and eco-friendly. On the side we run a mentorship program to help other kids develop and test their individual ideas. I’ll go into further detail about each of these initiatives in later blog posts!

So that’s what we do on paper, but why do we bother?

Well, I can try to explain it but I think my role model, Steve Jobs, hits the nail right on the head:

“When you grow up, you tend to get told that the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world, try not to bash into the walls too much, try to have a nice family, have fun, save a little money. That’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader, once you discover one simple fact, and that is that everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.”

I co-founded Ecoviate because I think we have an opportunity to build a sustainable future. In the process, we just hope that we can empower and show other people, especially youngsters, that they have the resources and intellectual bandwidth to build the future they want to see. Using our story and our products as guidance, Ecoviate aspires to be more than just a company but more of a symbol of what can happen when people push to challenge the status quo. The plan with Ecoviate is to build sustainable technologies, empower others to do the exact same, and hopefully, have some fun in process. Let’s see what happens. We appreciate your support!